May 18

The first name that we wish to consider is literally the first name mentioned in the Bible. God Himself gave the name Adam to the first human being. This name comes from the term Adamah, which means “reddish brown earth,” or “consisting of dust.” Mankind was formed from the dust of the earth, a wondrous and humbling thing. The mighty God of heaven created insignificant man from the dust, showing that man’s existence was temporary.

After He created man, the Lord gave him a probationary command: “in the day that thou eatest thereof, (that is, the forbidden fruit) thou shalt surely die” (Gen. 2:17). By this command, we are alerted to the passing nature of frail man as a created being. In fact, in giving the first man his name, the Lord is actually giving a brief sermon: the name Adam shows that man is dependent on God. This dependence was meant for his good.

What should Adam’s name make us think of?

This devotional was taken from “The Time of Your Life” a daily devotional published by the Youth & Education Committee of the FRC. To order a printed copy of this book, contact: [email protected]